Professor Margaret Greenfields awarded Academy of Social Sciences Fellowship
We are delighted to share the news that Margaret Greenfields, Visiting Professor at Buckinghamshire New University, has been awarded a Fellowship by the Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS).
The Academy’s Fellowship is made up of distinguished individuals from academic, public, private and third sectors, across the full breadth of the social sciences. Through leadership, scholarship, applied research, policymaking, and practice, they have helped to deepen the understanding of, and address, some of the toughest challenges facing our society and the world.
New Fellows are recognised, after an independent peer review process, for the excellence and impact of their work and their wider contributions to the social sciences for public benefit.
Margaret, whose academic work focuses on health, social inclusion and access to education for racialised and 'othered' communities at risk of exclusion including Gypsies, Travellers, Roma, Showmen and Boaters; LGBT+ People of Faith; and people who are Homeless joins a number of leading social scientists from a wide range of organisations who have been conferred to the Academy this autumn. These include Mr Iain Bell, National Director for Public Health Data, Knowledge and Research at Public Health Wales, and Baroness Minouche Shafik DBE, Director, London School of Economics and Political Science.
The AcSS said: “Collectively, the new Fellows that have been conferred demonstrate the breadth of contributions the social sciences make to our political, social, economic lives. We are also pleased to have seen an increase in the diversity of nominations being put forward, both in terms of the BAME community and institutional affiliations.”
Will Hutton, President of the Academy of Social Sciences, said: “As the Academy extends its outward-facing focus, engagement with all sectors of the social science community is vitally important and I very much hope to draw on the deep knowledge and expertise of our new Fellows.”
Professor Nick Braisby, Vice-Chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University said: ‘The award of this prestigious fellowship is testament to the sustained quality and impact of Professor Greenfields’ research. She has produced pioneering studies into the disadvantage and challenge faced by marginalised communities, especially the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. Her work has shone a light on appalling historical and continuing inequalities. Margaret is a generous academic, and has been a pioneer in her own right, choosing to research problems that more mainstream research does not touch. She richly deserves this accolade and I am very proud that she and her research continue to associate so strongly with Buckinghamshire New University.’
Professor Greenfields said: "I am absolutely delighted and rather overwhelmed by being awarded a Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences. This really is the peak of my career and I'm so grateful to nominators and my scientific peers who considered me worthy of this recognition. It's critically important to note that the principles of robust co-production of research and policy recommendations lies at the heart of the body of my work in social policy, and as such this institutional recognition also highlights the centrality of experiences and voices of often 'silenced' communities.
“I look forward immensely to working with colleagues in the Academy of Social Sciences in campaigning for awareness and celebration of the critical role which social sciences play in enhancing the health and wellbeing of society."